My 7 Steps to a Better Exam Experience

The last weeks around here have been quiet on the blog front, and that is because they have been decidedly NOT quiet on the exam front.

As a self-declared professional student, I have developed a few exam routines that work for me. Some of the things that have helped me along the way are:

Treat the day before the exam as a review day, or worst case scenario, a last-chance-to-work-out-whatever-you-don't-get-day. This is probably a given for most people, but for Younger Me, it most certainly was not. (Heck, even current me gets stuck learning things the day before an exam). However, I find that more often than not, I will not remember anything learned the day before, unless of course I already somewhat had a good understanding of the information.

Don't stay up all night the night before the exam. It can be tempting to try to get *everything* down in the last few hours. In my experience, however, I have found that nothing beats a good night's sleep. In fact, I once took an exam on low sleep and forgot all the formulas I needed for the test. I actually have to retake said exam before Christmas this year (fun fact: I remember the formulas now, a year later, but for some reason *cough lack of sleep cough* everything went blank that fateful exam day in 2015).

Get up earlier than I need to. I am not. A. Morning. Person. At. All. So, it is only natural that I am not firing on all my cylinders until after I have been awake for a few hours and am properly caffeinated. Therefore, on exam day, I always get up at 5:30, even though I don't normally leave my house until 08:00. This allows me to be properly "awake" by the time I need to focus.

Instead of rolling up in sweats and messy hair, I get ready--at least a little. Of course, a lot of the time I truly cannot be bothered to do full hair and makeup unless I absolutely *have* to or am doing something fun. But for exam day, I usually feel more awake and more focused if I at least do a bit of concealer and my eyebrows, plus some kind of easy yet put together hair style. At least making a little effort makes me feel a bit more awake and prepared.

Weather permitting, I walk to school. I am lucky in that I live walking distance to my school. But I find that a brisk walk pre-exam time helps to both clear my head and help me focus if I am still feeling groggy.

Bring a snack. I like to bring a banana, bag of almonds, and plenty of water. If I am particularly stressed, I treat myself to my favorite flavor of sparkling water just to put me in a better mood. I also try to bring green tea instead of coffee because I feel like coffee just makes me wired, while green tea gives me a boost that helps me focus without getting too jittery. Pretty much the whole routine is all about making myself as comfortable and happy as possible so I can focus on the exam material without distraction.

Just try your best. It also helps that in Norway, you have three tries to get the grade you want on an exam. So, if I am feeling particularly nervous, I just tell myself that if worst comes to worst, I will just retake the exam.

Norwegian-American or American-Norwegian, depending on the relevant mood or side of the Atlantic. M. Sc. graduate and economics student by day. Sarcastic, low-key diva and lover of shiny things by night.